Israel: Foreign journalists are crybabies, fig leaves for Hamas

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 |
Israel Today Staff

Daniel Seaman, director of Israel's Government Press Office, issued a statement on Sunday labeling foreign journalists as "spoiled crybabies" over all their complaining about not being able to easily enter the Gaza Strip during the recent war there.

Foreign media outlets have accused Israel of implementing a ban on reporting from Gaza. But Seaman insists there was no such ban. It is true that the Gaza borders were closed, but that was for the safety of Israel's border terminal workers, and not as a ban on reporting.

"Israel did not want to endanger the lives of the workers at the crossings so we didn't open them, not for humanitarian reasons and not for foreign journalists," said Seaman.

But instead of going through a little extra effort to get into Gaza via other means (such as through Egypt), Seaman said foreign journalists chose to behave like "spoiled crybabies."

Next time around, Seaman recommends Israel really does impose a ban on journalists entering Gaza, since those that did make it in were basically making themselves accomplices to Hamas' crimes.

"They are accepting everything everyone says at face value. Maybe 3% are calling and asking for an Israeli response... They are a fig leaf for Hamas," Seaman vented. "Their coverage right now is a disgrace to the profession. Instead of reporting, they are settling scores. Reporting without both sides, without a context is an abuse of the profession."

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